Sherwood Anderson built his literary reputation on his to-the-point novels about American life.

When he turned his hand to poetry, he stayed on-message - producing a powerful collection of verse that sometimes punches hard enough to wind you.

'A New Testament' pulls together at-times visceral poems describing the people and places around him and themes including death, hunger and a visit from God.

Strap yourself in for a rugged ride!

The work of Sherwood Anderson is ideal for fans of authors he influenced, including Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck.

Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941) was an American novelist and short story writer.

He became a copywriter and business owner in Ohio, but quit his business and his family after a nervous breakdown in 1912.

A move to Chicago saw Anderson focus more on his writing as he mixed with well-known authors. His career was launched in 1919 by the short-story sequence 'Winesburg, Ohio', but he had by then published other titles, including the novels 'Windy McPherson's Son' and 'Marching Men' and a collection of prose poems, 'Mid-American Chants' (1918).

His other bestseller, 'Dark Laughter', was published in 1925.